Something More
by chasing tomorrow
Summary: [ sasuxsaku ] How could it end so quickly? How come it took me seventeen years to live, but only a matter of minutes to slip away into the quiet abyss of death? Sasuke… No… I just need to tell you one more thing… [ Prequel: What I Wanted ]
1. Blurry

**Something More**

Chapter 1: Blurry

Summary: _sasuxsaku_ How could it end so quickly? How come it took me seventeen years to live, but only a matter of minutes to slip away into the quiet abyss of death? Sasuke… No… Sasuke… I just need to tell you… one more thing…

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Notes: Hello again :D

Due to popular (or so I like to think) demand and my lack of creativity to think of a new plotline, here is the alternative-ending-turned-into-a-new-story of What I Wanted. It follows chapter 9, Betrayal, right after Sasuke stabs Sakura. Even though this is an alternative ending, it's more like a sequel that starts from the middle of the first story XD

I hope it's still as enjoyable as What I Wanted with a little less angsty parts :D Or… so I tried XD This chapter has my normal dose of confusion and impossible event XD

If you haven't read What I Wanted, you can find it in my authored stories :D Or you can just read the overview of the plot so far below.

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**What I Wanted Overview**

On a summer night, Sakura's and Sasuke's parents are killed by none other than the infamous Uchiha Itachi. Soon after displaying his affections for Sakura, Sasuke leaves Konoha. Sakura grows a strong bond with Naruto and Sai, who are both on her Genin team and attracted to her. However, Sakura thinks that Sasuke is the only one for her even after two years. Unexpectedly, Sasuke returns to the village and asks for Sakura's help in his mission to murder Itachi. However, Sasuke realizes how immature and weak Sakura is, and leaves the village once again to find his sensei, Orochimaru. Finally, at the age of seventeen, Sakura finds the hide out of Orochimaru and Kabuto, but Sasuke's greeting to her is sharp and bitter.

"_There was never an us."_

_Suddenly, he raises the kunai that he has been sharpening. In the light filtered through the window, I see that it is inscribed with two interlocked S's._

_And he stabs me in the heart._

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I grit my teeth through the pain. I won't lose to someone like Uchiha Sasuke. His eyes are toward the ground, void of emotions. Using renewed strength, he digs the kunai even deeper into my body.

"Sasuke-kun…" I squeeze out the refreshing sound of his name from my closing windpipe. "What… were…" I can barely hear my own voice anymore. "…we…" The world is spinning around me and everything seems a hundred meters away.

He wrenches the weapon out of my weakening body, letting it drop to the bloody floor with a clatter. Suddenly, he brings me close and I can feel the summer breeze playing with my hair again.

"My… blood…"

_Is dirty._

My eyes begin to close as Sasuke's arms tighten around my thin waist. Let me just sleep… I'm so tired.

It hurts too much.

Unexpectedly, I see the blurry images of Naruto, Sai, and Tsunade-sensei step in. How… impossible…

Sensei rushes over and pushes Sasuke roughly off of me.

No… I need the warmth… No… stop… please…

Everything begins to become hazy and the image of sensei's panicky expression as she tries to fix my broken body becomes only a shadow.

The dark pool of crimson rapidly increases in diameter as my life slowly slips away. How can it end so quickly? How come it took me seventeen years to live, but only a matter of minutes to slip away into the quiet abyss of death?

Sasuke… No… Sasuke… I just need to tell you… one more thing…

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I awake with a start on an unfamiliar soft, white surface. The hospital? I rub my eyes to rid myself of the hanging cloud of fatigue.

Turning my head slowly to my left, I see a familiar black and orange clad boy on an uncomfortable hard stool next to my bed with his head down on the stark white sheets.

"Naruto…"

"Nnnn…"

"Naruto… NARUTO!"

Naruto sits up immediately. "Sakura-chan!" he exclaims with obvious shock.

My outburst comes as a surprise to myself, and I gasp as a searing pain in my chest takes over my body. Suddenly, my breath becomes scarce, almost as if the air is choking my lungs. Naruto runs out of the sickly white room in a mad dash to find a nurse, but by the time she makes it to my room, the attack is over.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto sighs, clearly relieved.

The nurse smiles and whispers something to Naruto. Even though her words are inaudible from my position on the bed, I can tell the subject of her sentences is me. Naruto's expression drops to a mature and emotionless level. Soon, the nurse leaves after a one-way conversation with him.

Feeling my stare upon him as the nurse exits, Naruto looks up at me with the same carefree smile that I have grown accustomed to.

"Sakura-chan… about that… incident," he finishes awkwardly. "That… Tsunade-sama barely saved you from the edge."

From his tone of voice and words he has chosen so carefully, I can tell that something is out of place.

"Sakura-chan… what I mean to say is that…" He starts to fiddle with my sheets, setting his look outside the window.

"You had a heart transplant."

Sakura-chan… you're so weak.

I force my lips to form a smile. "Well, then I'd like to thank my donor."

"That…"

The silence embraces us, and, for once, I wish Naruto wouldn't tell me the truth. I wish he could just say that it was some poor soul who was from a foreign village. I wish he would say it was just a joke.

"It was…"

If possible, the room could have exploded from the tension.

"Itachi."

My jaw drops open. Honestly, I had expected the name of someone more familiar to roll off of my best friend's tongue.

Wait… there was still something wrong.

"_Itachi…" I begin._

"_I killed him."_

Another lie?

My heart sinks.

"But…"

Naruto cuts me off abruptly, "Sasuke killed him just a few hours before you found Orochimaru's hide out. Even though he said he loathed his brother, Sasuke's instincts were against him. He left Itachi hanging onto just a sliver of life. When we found him, Itachi had left his mangled body only minutes before."

I pull the thin white blankets up to my shoulders.

I'm disgusting.

"And Orochimaru?" I ask, biting my lip.

"He escaped."

A film of water distorts my vision. Is he lying?

Seeing my distress, Naruto excuses himself, "Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei is calling me to train with Sai. I'll be back in the afternoon."

What did I do wrong?

I hug my knees up to my chin under the white sheets and lean my forehead on them.

As I rock back and forth is a soothing rhythm, the softest footsteps entering my hospital room capture my attention.

Sasuke.

I don't know how to react, so instead I pull the loose hospital garments closer to my thin body. His eyes lock with mine, but his emotions are still a mystery to me.

Like with Naruto, my breath suddenly becomes short and the desire to sleep strengthens. Just as I can feel the cough about to rupture from my parched throat, a calloused hand touches my shoulder. I flinch at the foreign contact and the feeling of impending death ebbs away.

"Sakura…" he starts, but I don't let him finish.

The anger and betrayal I've tried for years to mask is brimming over the edge now.

"What was I to you?" I ask dangerously.

Silence.

"Did you know how it felt to live without knowing what you were doing?"

Silence.

"What is your fucking problem? Is it that hard to look at me?" By now, my voice has reached an extreme high. My heartbeat quickens to a risky pace, but I don't have time for that right now.

I reach over to the bed stand to find anything that I can hurt him with. If I can't hurt his heart, I can hurt him physically. Finding a white porcelain plate of fruit, I raise it, about to destroy that repulsive, twisted face.

But I can't.

That small part of me that still believes in love is tugging at me again.

My hand clutching the plate falls limply to the white blankets.

I turn to look out the window, letting my pink hair fall to the side of my face.

"What are you planning to do about Orochimaru?" I ask tentatively. He might leave me again; he might betray me again. But maybe…

He might love me again.

Sasuke shifts his position next to the bed. I can't bear to look at him because I don't know what I'll see. I might see an enemy instead of a lover.

"I don't know." He stands up to leave. Something tells me that if he leaves now, he'll be the one in the oasis of blood, not me.

My shoulders begin to shake uncontrollably.

"Is it that hard to choose between me and Orochimaru? Sasuke-kun, did you know what I wanted to say before you almost took my life?"

Before my mind can grasp the situation, the water is streaking down my cheeks.

Through my blurred vision, I can see his retreating figure turn around ever so slightly. Just a little more…

I need you.

His fingers brush the doorknob, but the deafening slam of the door never reaches me. Quickly, I wipe the tears from my eyes, trying to understand the situation with my best sense. My newly found vision is greeted by the close proximity of a certain dark haired juvenile.

"Sasuke…" This is so weak, but I was never born with the courage and strength he has. Throwing my arms around his strong neck, I cry into his fresh shirt.

And amazingly, he doesn't withdraw.


	2. Once More

**Something More**

Chapter 2: Once More

Summary: _sasuxsaku_ How could it end so quickly? How come it took me seventeen years to live, but only a matter of minutes to slip away into the quiet abyss of death? Sasuke… No… Sasuke… I just need to tell you… one more thing…

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"_Sasuke…" This is so weak, but I was never born with the courage and strength he has. Throwing my arms around his strong neck, I cry into his fresh shirt. _

_And amazingly, he doesn't withdraw._

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I allow my hot tears to stain the thin cloth until he pushes me away. His eyes are hidden from me as he casts his eyes down to the floor, ashamed of my touch. Shifting uncomfortably on the bed, he looks towards the door, gesturing that he must leave. Gently, I place a small hand on his mature one.

Standing up and dropping my hand back to my side, he mumbles, "You're annoying."

_Sakura-chan, you're so disgusting._

The thudding of his footsteps on the slippery white tiles makes my heart tense in apprehension. His hand reaches for the doorknob, and at an agonizingly slow pace, turns the silver metal to the left, jerking open the door. The artificial wind pushed by the wooden structure reaches my bare forearms, causing me to shiver. As he crosses the line between friendship and betrayal, I rest my head once again upon the reassuring surface of my knees.

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Three day later, Tsunade-sensei finds me in a state of mental disruption. Softly, she opens the door to my prison and takes a seat next to me, scraping the stool previously occupied by Naruto closer to the bed.

"Sakura-chan," she whispers to get my attention.

Hoping I still look calm and content, I raise my face from the comfortable warmth of the sheets. Smiling, she brushes the hair off of my face like a mother and gently tells me, "He left."

My heart won't accept that this is happening once more. The last eight years repeat themselves infinitely in my mind. Losing Sasuke, finding him, betrayal, losing Sasuke, finding him, betrayal… I wish I could just forget the suffering and walk forward with confidence. However, my step on the road to happiness has already faltered, and the roads have diverged.

I clamp my hands over my ears, twisting my bubblegum pink hair in my slender fingers. Please don't say more; please don't tell me he'll die… I cradle myself, rocking myself back and forth slowly, willing the tears to stay inside. A nurse enters the room and hurriedly whispers something to sensei. Touching my shoulder lightly, she smiles at me.

"It'll be alright."

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In the late afternoon, when the sun is dying the sky a deadly red, Naruto returns to my side. After Tsunade's emergency departure to tend to a patient who had been rushed into the hospital, I sat on the mattress with my legs pulled up to my chest and my cheek rested on my knees. Life was passing me by and I didn't have the courage to stand up and face it.

Am I supposed to be dead? Have I dropped off of the wheel of life? Was I supposed to die that day?

Naruto pulls open the door, letting himself in without permission. Feeling his calming and safe presence, I relax and continue to embrace myself. As he takes a seat on the vibrantly red stool, I part my lips to speak to him, "When am I being released?"

My best friend hesitates, but his reactions are quick, "Soon."

My head is still turned away from him, so he won't notice the silent tears threatening to break through. "How long is soon?"

The silence is choking.

"Half a year," he informs me shortly and bitterly.

I try not to let the sounds of my sorrow escape my throat as I question, "Will you visit me?"

"Of course, Sakura-chan. Everyday for as long as you want! Anything."

Empty promises. It's funny how people can make such impossible commitments. I never believed it was right to lie because lies were only like cosmetics. Beautiful and received with warm smiles, but hideous underneath.

"What about Team 7?"

The friction of wooden chair legs against the tiles tells me that Naruto is moving around uncomfortably. "There won't be a Team 7."

I remember that day when Iruka-sensei first assigned us to Genin teams.

_That team is just going to hold me back._

As I contemplate my previous thoughts, I realize that in a way, Naruto and Sai did hold me back. Even though I was the weakest link of the team, I was the only one who was not afraid to bring the knife down on an enemy.

Just because I thought that every death would save Sasuke.

A peaceful silence settles over the room like a comforting embrace. All too soon, Naruto's voice breaks the tranquility. "I won't forget the past seven years, Sakura-chan."

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Naturally, Sai was the next one to visit me, but our meeting was much less than natural. An unsettling and awkward atmosphere settled as the dull shuffling of feet reaches my bedside.

"The letter…" he inquires.

"I'm not ready yet," I answer abruptly. The truth hurts too much right now. The unknown contents of his letter frighten me beyond reason.

"Sakura…" he pauses. "Thank you."

Despite the fact that he sits motionless and quiet for another thirty minutes, his presence makes my mind chaotic. _Sai, who are you?_

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I fold my pale pink hospital gown in a neat pile on the edge of my moonlit bed. Today is only the seventh day of my hospitalization, but my adapting heart has already become restless with thoughts of Sasuke. The nights are long and the days heartbreaking. And everyday is just another day.

Without Sasuke.

I have to take the right path this time, so I fight back the desire to remain in the safety of Konoha, and I pack what little I have to take along with me on my journey.

Round two.

With my weapon pouch securely fastened to my waist, my footsteps bring me closer and closer to the exit of Konoha. A knot of anxiety forms in the bottom of my stomach, but my body relentlessly treks forward. Suddenly, my path is blockaded by an old teammate.

Sai.

"Are you ready yet?" he asks as I brush past him.

"Not yet."

And so, I break the choking bond between Konoha.

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Again, my quest for love is uneventful and excruciatingly long. Finally, the new base of Orochimaru comes into view. My clumsy step encounters a twig, which triggers an explosive tag. I make a swift, death-defying leap to avoid the deadly fire. The foreign heart in my body beats rapidly, unable to work fast enough to supply blood to my legs. I collapse on my knees and clutch my chest, gasping to consume enough oxygen to survive.

A soft crinkling of a leaf near me causes me to raise my jade eyes during my labored attempts to breathe. My breath comes out in shrill, short inhales; the air is barely circulating my burning lungs. The world comes hazily as my heart tightens even more, threatening to explode from shock.

"Save… me…"

The ebony eyes glare down at me unmovingly as my life slips farther and farther away.

Seventeen years to live, minutes to die.

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Notes: Hiatus? Maybe. I'm running out of ideas. And I promise the next chapter won't be them going back to Konoha… again. Haha. I'm outlining the basic plot in my head, but I'm not too sure how it's going to all work out yet. Oh well. I'll get it someday.

Meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed the second chapter of Something More!


	3. Familiar

**Something More**

Chapter 3: Familiar

Summary: _sasuxsaku_ How could it end so quickly? How come it took me seventeen years to live, but only a matter of minutes to slip away into the quiet abyss of death? Sasuke… No… Sasuke… I just need to tell you… one more thing…

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"_Save… me…"_

_The ebony eyes glare down at me unmovingly as my life slips farther and farther away._

_Seventeen years to live, minutes to die._

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As I slowly wake up from a hangover-like state, I can't bring myself to open my eyes. I raise my arm to shield myself from the dreaded light. Expecting the gates of heaven or just death, I clench my eyes closed and grit my teeth, determined to not submit to my curiosity. Suddenly, a warm arm throws itself across my neck, causing me to gasp in pain and surprise.

Do arms randomly attack one after death?

Cautiously, I pry open an eye and squint to take in my surroundings. A desk, a bed, a body…

Wait. Rewind.

My eyes open wide as I realize that the attacking arm belonged to a black haired boy sleeping peacefully next to me. Leaping up on the soft mattress, I cause his arm to fall suddenly to his side, disturbing his light sleep. A frown emerges on his face as he sits up uncomfortably, rubbing his eyes.

As the thin blankets fall from his shoulders, I realize that he is topless, flaunting his toned upper body. I turn away with a slight blush on my face and feel along my own garments to make sure that they are mine. Fortunately, my clothes are still as I remembered them to be. Clutching my arms to avoid the cold, I slowly seat myself back down next to him. My heart races at our closeness, but I endure the emerging pain in my chest. Uncertainly, I ask him,

"Who are you?"

His sleep deprived eyes flicker with momentary shock as he turns to face me. Barely moving his lips, he commands sharply with slightly slurred speech, "Stop joking."

I look at him quizzically, trying to remember someone in my life with a face like his. However, all I can conjure is the image of Sai's soft features in my mind.

Eyes hardening once more, he removes himself from the twin sized bed and quickly dresses himself with a white robe decorated with a small fan in the back. My eyes are still fixed on the familiar symbol as he reaches over and roughly grabs me by the wrist. I squirm and plant my feet securely on the ground to resist, but his relentless pace is too much of a challenge for my still-recovering body.

Hopelessly, I allow him to drag me out the door and down dark, winding hallways lit only by dim torches every few feet. We pass various doors whose secrets are unknown to me, but I don't have the strength to make the boy in front of me stop.

Finally, we reach the destination of the white robed boy. He easily pushes open a door identical to all the others in the hall and pulls me to his side. The blood rushes to my cheeks as I realize that his hand is still tightly gripping my wrist.

"Orochimaru, what the hell did you do?" he asks to the ominous and seemingly empty dark chamber.

A man with stringy black hair emerges from the darkness. He licks his ghastly pale lips with a deep purple tongue. His presence holds amazing amounts of pressure and tension, causing me to automatically cower closer to my guardian. The boy's grip on my wrist tightens.

"She's a present," he sneers. "Isn't this what you wanted, Sasuke-kun?"

A present? My mind is unbelievably confused about the current situation. Orochimaru? Sasuke? The names are unfamiliar.

The boy's other hand clenches tightly into a fist. "What did you do?" he hisses in a deadly whisper.

The snakelike man the boy calls Orochimaru lets out an unsettling, insane laugh. "What did I do? I removed your weakness. She doesn't remember you, Sasuke-kun."

I look up at this so-called "Sasuke-kun" as his hold on my wrist drops unexpectedly. His features are still hard, but his eyes are filled with loathe and hating. He rapidly brings his elbow back and slides his feet into a fighting stance and throws his fist out to the snake. However, he is stopped by an unseen movement of Orochimaru and the glint of a crimson tainted sword.

I gasp as the raven haired boy clutches his bleeding shoulder in masked pain. On the other hand, Orochimaru nonchalantly saunters out of the dark abyss, his presence lingering in the stench of the room.

Recovering from my shock, I reach over to examine Sasuke's wound. However, at my touch, he pushes me away violently. Although I stumble from the sudden momentum, I manage to stay on my feet.

"I'm a medic. Let me see your injury," I reassure him. I don't want him to think that I'm trying to hurt him.

"Don't touch me. You're not Sakura," he hisses at me with the same dangerous tone he used with Orochimaru.

I look at him curiously. How does he know my name?

Why do his words hurt?

I gulp down the lump of fear and pain in my throat and face him once again with a soothing voice. "Let me just see…"

He flinches and takes a step back.

A figure suddenly appears behind me, breathing down my neck. I tense as his strong arms encircle my powerless body. "She is our Sakura."

I relax. His voice tells me it's only Sai.

"Sai…" Sasuke breathes under his breath. His shoulder wound is still bleeding profusely as his hand holds it even tighter.

"Kabuto erased her memories, just the important ones," Sai answers his unasked question. "Just of how you tortured her." His breath plays down my spine.

Sasuke opens his mouth, but does not form any words. Composing himself, he returns to his usual malicious persona. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you know how much you hurt her? Do you know how much it was for her to watch you leave every time?"

At this, Sasuke cannot say a word. He casts his unwavering gaze to the floor as Sai tightens his embrace. Being in his arms, I feel safe and relaxed, but it feels as if something were wrong.

He left me behind? He hurt me?

The words seem empty to me. Who is this Sasuke?

"Sakura… do you… remember me?" His words jerk me painfully back to reality.

Something tells me to say yes, but if someone were to ask me who he really was, I would be clueless. So instead, I foolishly answer, "No." My glance trails down towards the blood splattered painfully across his white robe and trickling down his arm.

Stilling clutching his injury, he retreats down the hallway.

And I don't know why, but my weak heart yearns for him.

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Sai seats me in a comfortable, cushiony chair. "What do you remember?" he asks me in his usual whispy, soft tone.

Finally, it hits me. What is Sai doing here?

Instead of answering his question, I ask my own, "What are we doing here?"

He smiles his emotionless smile and demands, "Tell me your answer first."

I fight the urge to rebel and make him answer me first. I begin, "I remember leaving Konoha to find… something…" I trail off. There's something missing. "I remember meeting you and telling you I wasn't ready…"

As I stop, Sai finds this as an opportunity to ask me a blunt question. "Do you know who that boy was?"

"No."

He smiles, but this time, something tells me he means it.

"Answer my question now," I demand.

"You told me you loved me, but you left. So I followed you."

"Why?"

"Because I love you too."

What happens next is all too familiar.

Sai swiftly closes in on our distance, backing me up against the stone wall. Using my finger, I trace a circle slowly and anxiously on the cold surface. I wanted it, but I didn't. No matter, he still kisses me for…

The third time? Or second time?

There's something missing.

But it doesn't matter now.

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As I was later informed by Sai, I had willingly agreed to take part in Orochimaru's plans. Kabuto, Orochimaru's assistant, had found my medic abilities helpful, so he decided to recruit me as his apprentice. It didn't matter to me whether or not Orochimaru's plans were justified or not. Just so that I could be close to Sai.

I remember how on that summer night, Sai had taken my bloody fingers in his and we had confirmed our love with those kunai. I remember how he had hugged me, even though I was his weakness. I remember…

A hazy memory of being stabbed by a shadowed figure recurred in my mind.

And the agony.

And the love.

Footsteps enter the room as I ponder past events, seated on the edge of a soft bed in my torch-lit room. I shake my pink hair to rid myself of the unfaithful memories as he, who I assume to be Sai, approaches me. Instinctively, I close my eyes in response to his caring and warm embrace. I weave my fingers into his and whisper the question haunting me, "Did I love you?"

"Yes, you did."

Suddenly, I realize this voice isn't Sai's. I turn my neck painfully to see the shadowed figure standing behind me. White robe with a loose purple rope as a belt. The light bends slightly as a torch's flame flickers, cascading light upon his perfect features.

Sasuke.

I stand up abruptly, leaving behind his lingering warmth. Hugging my thin garments closer to my body, I back away from him in fear. The stale air around us is thick with despair and pain as I feel the stone wall hit my back. My heart increases to a deadly pace. Sai already told me not to get too agitated because I had been born with a weak heart, but I can't help myself.

"Stay away."

He steps closer.

"Stop," I desperately command. "Please stop."

_Please don't stop._

I hang my head, allowing the sakura pink tresses to shadow my face. My right finger slowly circles the cold surface of the wall as the anxiety in my body rises. My heart pounds crazily as Sasuke's close proximity brings warmth to my body.

"It hurts…" I gasp through the lack of air.

"The heart transplant."

"What?" I ask in confusion. The already dim room becomes darker as my windpipe begins to close.

"It made you weak."

"Ah…" The choking prevents me from answering him. Sharply inhaling, I fall to my knees at his feet and begin to cough violently. The world seems to be swallowed in silence as the pain in my chest worsens, numbing my whole body.

"Please…" I ask in a far away voice, clawing desperately at Sasuke's feet. I can't last much longer. However, despite my frantic efforts, the expected sympathy never comes, causing the invisible knife to sink deeper into my heart. What am I expecting?

Hurried footsteps echo through the hallway outside as two people rush into the room. This scene seems familiar.

Sai and Kabuto hurry over to me, frantic thoughts written on their faces. Kabuto is yelling at Sai, Sai is yelling at Sasuke…

And Sasuke is crying.

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Notes: Wow. Major plot twist that just… happened XD This wasn't in the plan for the original storyline, but it just came out like this. Sorry for the OOC for Sasuke and Sai xx;; It's so hard to avoid XD I know there'll be a lot of questions after this chapter, but I promise to have answers next chapter :D

Thank you for the reviews :DDDDD


	4. I Think I

**Something More**

Chapter 4: I Think I

Summary: _sasuxsaku_ How could it end so quickly? How come it took me seventeen years to live, but only a matter of minutes to slip away into the quiet abyss of death? Sasuke… No… Sasuke… I just need to tell you… one more thing…

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_Hurried footsteps echo through the hallway outside as two people rush into the room. This scene seems familiar._

_Sai and Kabuto hurry over to me, frantic thoughts written on their faces. Kabuto is yelling at Sai, Sai is yelling at Sasuke…_

_And Sasuke is crying._

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I feel the silent tears land on my hand still clutching his ankle.

"Why do you always have to screw things up, Sasuke?" Sai is yelling in a foreign manner. I have never heard him this angry. "I told you to stay away from her. You're disgusting. You disturb her. Don't come near here again," he hisses at Sasuke, grabbing the collar of his robe.

_That's not true, Sai. Stop it, please._

My heart aches more as his angry words attack Sasuke, over and over again. Sasuke allows his unresisting body to be jostled around by Sai's anger, eyes coldly tracing my broken body on the floor.

Kabuto picks up my small form and lifts me onto the small, welcoming bed and quickly offers me a respirator as he uses his chakra to restore my regular heart beat. I gulp in the delicious air, relieving my burning lungs.

In the background, I can hear Sai push Sasuke out the door, shouting vulgarities at his emotionless face. My ears pick up the slamming of the door as the silence settles. Calmly, Sai walks to my bedside and strokes my hair. He touches my feverish forehead and orders Kabuto to bring cold water and a towel.

However, by the time Kabuto returns with the basin of water, I have already drifted off into a state of peaceful sleep.

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I awake in the forever dark room. Everything is deafeningly silent around me as I turn slightly in my bed. Snuggling into my overly soft pillow, I begin to fall back into the recesses of sleep. However, a soft tap of footsteps in the outside hallway awake me sharply. Whoever it is raps softly on my door, beckoning me to welcome them in.

Sitting up, I swing my legs over the side of my bed and pad quietly over to the door. Standing on my tiptoes, I peer out at the dimly lit hall. A boy in a pleasingly white robe catches my attention, and without further thought, I swing open the door. Something tells me that this boy has the answers, that he has the missing piece.

It's funny how I trust an almost complete stranger.

"What are you doing here?" I whisper softly.

"Hn." Without further comment, he slips into the room. The breeze made by his loose robe sends shivers down my spine as I silently close the door. For some reason, I know I can't let Sai find out about Sasuke's surprise visit.

Without invitation, he seats himself on my unmade bed. Steadily, I make my way over to him, sitting down next to him. I blush as our fingers brush, but I manage to keep my heart rate under control.

"What are you doing here?" I inquire again politely.

Scowling, Sasuke places his elbows on his knees and clamps his hands together, resting his forehead upon his double-handed fist.

Sighing, he straightens again, but doesn't look me in the eye. He swings his legs back and forth slowly before asking, "Do you remember me?"

Having thought about the answer of this question for weeks now, I answer quickly, "No."

His silence brings a wave of awkwardness over the room. Quickly, I say, "What were we?"

Again, he is silent, but I can tell he is meticulously conjuring an answer. "I don't know," he finally says.

Cocking my head at him curiously, I continue to interrogate him. "Who are you?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Uchiha… The name was vaguely familiar.

"How do you know me?"

The momentary silence settles in again as he struggles to find a reply.

"I can't remember."

Suddenly, he stands up and travels briskly to the door, robe swishing after him.

"Wait," I whisper after him. "Do you know Itachi?"

This is the one memory that has bothered me the most. A name that my mind automatically associates with hatred and malice recurs repeatedly in my thoughts in a vicious cycle. I have struggled to remember, but my memory is hazy.

At my words, Sasuke's step stops abruptly as his head turns slightly in my direction. The ebony bangs hide his expression from me.

"No."

Quickly, he reaches the door again and shuts it soundlessly.

_Sai, why did you take away my memories?_

------------------------------

On days that my heart feels strong enough to handle the weight of training, Kabuto always invites me into his laboratory. The chemicals and unmarked bottles possess me, enchanting me with their hidden magic. I stay for hours in the laboratory, just studying and noting the variety of different substances. However, there is always a mysterious stench in the room, almost as if there were wandering, lost souls scurrying around.

However, on one of those research days, Kabuto smiles at me and asks if he could run some tests on me. Although suspicious, I agree simply because I trust anyone close to Sai.

_Sai…_

Since Sai is my lover, his name should bring warmth to my heart, right?

I close my eyes momentarily trying to find the warmth, but it doesn't come. Deciding that the atmosphere is just too cold, I jerk myself back to reality.

Ushering me into a cramped empty room, Kabuto kindly tells me that it wouldn't hurt.

That it would be okay.

So, foolishly, I cooperate.

Even as an advanced medic, I am completely unsure of what he is doing as he steps into an adjacent room with a glass wall overlooking my room.

"Just stay calm." Kabuto's voice drifts to me over the intercom.

Stay calm, stay calm.

I shut my eyes as the lights dim around me, trying to free my mind from emotion. I can hear hurried typing on the other side of the glass as Kabuto prepares his experiment. Crossing and uncrossing my fingers, I anticipate whatever Kabuto is attempting. A medicinal breakthrough?

Or just a lie?

"Alright, Sakura-chan. Just be calm, now."

Shifting my weight from one leg to the other, I begin to feel uncomfortable and unsettled. There is something out of place. Why doesn't he tell me what he was doing? Why is this all so sudden?

Lost in my thoughts, I become unaware that a cold heat is creeping through my skin through my breath. All of a sudden, a burning, freezing, and stinging sensation overcomes me. The pain suddenly feels so real, as if I were in a frozen inferno. I gasp in agony as my heart constricts, cowering from the deadly poison.

"Stop…" I plead feebly.

From across the glass, I can see Kabuto smirking at me.

"Why…"

I drop to my knees weakly, blood dripping steadily from my mouth. I cough violently as my air supply starts cutting off, desperate to find salvation. My mind clouds over in an all too familiar manner, forcing me into an everlasting sleep. Struggling to stay awake, I claw at the ground, frantically trying to find an exit. Thoughts and memories spin in my head, burdening my already overworked mind.

Make it stop.

Sai, where are you?

Just as I'm about to let go of the last drop of hope, the door opens with a deafening slam. I expect to see Kabuto's smirking face or Sai's calm one as my last sight, but instead…

White robe, purple rope.

Why… Sai… Where are you?

The muscular boy briskly walks to my side, bending over my quivering body. Like the summer breeze, his voice tickles my ear.

"You're weak, Sakura."

The pain only increases, but instead of the freezing, numbing pain, the hurt is warm and filled with…

Love.

What are these emotions?

Gently, he picks me up bridal-style, raven hair brushing against my pale, sweaty face as he straightens up. By now, I am barely conscious, clutching onto his robe for support. Squeezing my tiny hands around the soft cloth, I realize a thick, warm liquid is trickling down my wrist. Unable to see clearly through the pain, I raise my hand to caress his face. Tracing his jaw line upward, I frown as I reach a sticky area.

As I graze my fingers across the huge expanse of crimson, Sasuke winces, pulling me tighter to his chest, but doesn't protest. Venturing further across his face, I realize the entire right side of his perfectly formed face is mutilated.

The thought of his hurt body surfaced the hot tears.

Who is this Uchiha Sasuke?

Slowly, I let my arm fall back down, shifting slightly in his arms to find a comfortable position to sleep in.

Is this wrong?

------------------------------

As I awake, I once again wonder if I'm already past the gates of death. However, as I sit up, I realize I'm only in the same room I was greeted with on my first day. Sitting up, I look around the room looking for the familiar figure of Sasuke. Seeing no signs, I bring my legs up to swing over the side of the bed when the soles of my feet brush past a silky mass of hair.

Peering over the bed, I realize it is Sasuke, sitting on the hard ground, hanging his head in a light sleep. As quietly as I try to remove myself from the bed that is rightfully his, he still wakes up, grabbing my left ankle. However, since my right foot has already made contact with the ground, his sudden movement causes me to trip with a small gasp. Rubbing my head, I face him, pouting.

He raises his head drowsily, his eyes unsteadily gazing at me. Immediately, his stare mesmerizes me until my eyes fall upon the blood-caked wound running from his hairline to his chin.

As I crawl closer, he shifts uncomfortably, squirming slightly to get out of the way. However, I reach out to his face, caressing it gently. I run my fingers absent-mindedly over his injury as he jerks back from my touch.

"Stop."

Realizing that my movements may have been too rash and caused embarrassment to him as a male, I chuckle softly. "Alright, just let me fix you."

Turning his head away from me so that his bangs cover the right side of his face, Sasuke mumbles, "You don't have enough chakra."

"Yes, I do!" I insist stubbornly. "It's only a small wound anyway."

Slowly, he turns back to me, locking gazes with me. Blushing, I turn my attention to the long gash interrupting the symmetry of his face.

Using both hands, I emit a green glow of chakra that runs along the wound, repairing it like tiny trucks. However, I can tell my chakra supply is low, so I only cure it minimally.

Breathing hard from such a small task, I take a seat next to Sasuke on the hard ground. Looking over, I realize Sasuke has been staring at me this whole time, but looks away as if he were innocent. Smiling, I decide to ignore his mysterious actions.

Regaining my breath, I ask him, "What happened?"

Contemplating his next words, Sasuke remains silent for a while before saying, "They want your heart. My eyes."

They? Who was they?

My smile drops instantly.

I look at him curiously. "My heart? Why?"

Turning away from me once again, Sasuke's next words are barley audible. "Itachi's heart. The Uchiha bloodline. Sharingan."

"Itachi… you… I thought you weren't acquainted with him."

"He was my brother."

"Oh," I comment lamely. How did this all fit together? With Uchiha blood running through my veins, I had the potential of using Sharingan, but was it possible?

"He killed my clan, but I killed him, giving you your heart today."

Automatically, I hold a hand over my chest, feeling the steady heartbeat within me. Not my heart?

"Sai…" I whisper.

As if knowing my unsaid question, he turns to face me once more.

"We're cousins."

He places his hand on mine, holding on protectively. The scene suddenly becomes intimate as he pulls me closer. Eagerly, I fall into the moment, anticipating his next action as I lower my eyelids. The thought of Sai flashes through my mind, but it barely seems important now.

_Sasuke, I think I…_

Suddenly, the door bursts open, revealing the angry face of Sai.

_Why did you have to come now?_

------------------------------

Notes: Wow. That took me a really long time to write xx;; I hope you like this exceptionally long chapter :D Do you like my normal length of chapters or is this one good? I'll try to give out some more answers in the plot next chapter XD;;

Thank you for the reviews! I feel so fortunate to have faithful readers :D

EDIT  
I FINALLY GOT THIS CHAPTER UPLOADED! FFnet kept on giving me errors when I tried to upload this past week D: Hope you enjoyed this chapter :D


	5. Infidelity

**Something More**

Chapter 5: Infidelity

Summary: _sasuxsaku_ How could it end so quickly? How come it took me seventeen years to live, but only a matter of minutes to slip away into the quiet abyss of death? Sasuke… No… Sasuke… I just need to tell you… one more thing…

------------------------------

_Sasuke, I think I…_

_Suddenly, the door bursts open, revealing the angry face of Sai._

_Why did you have to come now?_

------------------------------

At the sudden slam of the door, Sasuke snaps his head away from me, giving Sai an impassive look. My lips tingle, hungry for the touch of Sasuke, but he is far too occupied at the moment to see me. However, his hand grips mine ever so tighter, giving me a sense of protection.

Sai's shoulders move slowly up and down, a sign that he came in a hurry. Noticing the anger transferring between him and Sasuke, I begin to stand up, only to be jerked back down by Sasuke.

"I-it's not what you think," I sputter at neither male.

No one answers me.

"I… that…" I bite my lip lightly. I can't explain my feelings at the moment. An invisible knot ties me closer to Sasuke, but the instinct to stay faithful to Sai tugs at me. Unable to continue my sentence, I hang my head in defeat, allowing the scene before me to play out by itself.

"You…" Sai snarls. Recently, Sai hasn't been the Sai that occupies my memories.

"Hn."

"Why do you have to mess it up every time?" he takes a step forward, causing Sasuke to grasp my hand so tightly that I feel the circulation being cut off. "You… The main house… You should all have died."

"Hn."

Sai closes the distance, towering ominously over Sasuke.

"Why did he leave you alive?"

With that, Sai jerks Sasuke up by his collar. The abrupt loss of Sasuke's touch leaves me empty as Sai repeatedly punches Sasuke in the stomach.

"Why. Are. You. Alive," Sai demands through angrily gritted teeth. Sasuke doesn't resist at all, allowing Sai to abuse him. As he begins to cough up blood, I cover my ears and close my eyes, rocking back and forth. Make it stop…

"Go die," Sai hisses at Sasuke as he aims a chakra filled fist to his abdomen. I shut my eyes and clasp my hands tighter, bracing myself for the agonizing coughing spasm I know will follow. I wish Sasuke would try to stop Sai's onslaught, but he accepts it without a word. Why am I so weak? Why can't I stand up and take his hits?

The tears roll down my cheeks in that one great, dragging second of silence, broken only by the whistle of stale wind as Sai swings his fist once more.

A distant thud reaches my muffled ears as Sasuke's pained form drops to the ground, no longer supported by Sai's hold. He curls into a ball, blood dripping profusely from the corner of his mouth. I desperately crawl over to him, as if we were in the midst of a battle. I embrace his trembling body with a loving hold, trying to ease the pain. Again, the beautifully white robe is being sucked of its innocence by the unrelenting trail of crimson.

The hot tears well in my eyes as I run my fingers through his silky hair, savoring our touch. However, a hand brutally tugs my arm and drags me away from Sasuke's still figure. In desperation, I try to shake it off, but its iron grip is stubborn.

Down the halls, Sai drags me, fuming the entire time. Finally, we reach the destination he has been looking for, and he roughly shoves me inside the door. My vision is still blurry from the tears, so I quickly wipe my eyes. Looking around the room, I realize it has the same layout as Sasuke's.

Bed, desk, torches…

I turn around, meeting the cold, dark eyes of Sai. The flames of the torches dance in his furious pupils as he looks down at me with an expression of betrayal.

"What were you doing?" he asks me.

"I… We…"

There's a pause.

"Nothing," I conclude, casting my eyes shamefully to the ground.

Lightly, he lifts my chin up with his fingertips, forcing me to meet his gaze once more.

"Don't lie to me, Sakura," he threatens dangerously, taking a step forward. I step back.

"I thought you loved me."

Step.

"You don't even know him."

Step.

"He wasn't even that important…"

Step.

"… for you to remember him."

I feel the bed hit the back of my knees as I cower under Sai's dangerous glare. I don't want to know what he's talking about. His words crash into my mind, spinning indefinitely in circles.

Being with Sasuke…

Trying to remember Sasuke…

Falling in love with Sasuke…

Was this my infidelity?

Suddenly, Sai forces me onto the lumpy bed, supporting himself with his elbows as he lies on top of me. My heart beats faster in my chest, unable to comprehend to situation. I squirm to release myself from the uncomfortable position, but he pins my wrists down with his hands.

"Stop it…" I protest meekly.

"Sakura." His gaze penetrates my personal bubble far too easily.

"Do you love me?"

I turn my head, unwilling to face him.

"I don't know."

"Sakura, kiss me," he demands bluntly.

My eyes widen at his words. "What?"

"I thought you love me."

He closes in on our distance, so that I can feel his breath on my lips.

"No, Sai stop it. I…" Again, I can't quite find the words to stop him. "I… don't know anymore."

Before I can continue with my stammering protest, Sai brings his lips down on mine, but I quickly shift, allowing him only to brush my lips. He doesn't move for a while, as if trying to keep down his anger. Unexpectedly, he turns back into the Sai I knew once. Removing his weight from me, he stands up at the side of the bed.

"Is it that hard to accept my love?"

The door slams behind him.

------------------------------

I lay there on the bed for another hour or so, studying the intricate patterns of the ceiling in the dancing firelight. I try to tear my mind from the subject of Sai, but it is useless. Every pattern looks like a recreation of the scene that took place just an hour ago in Sasuke's residence. Constantly, I wonder if Sasuke is alright. I remember how he was curled up in pain, unable to move. Did Sai hit one of Sasuke's vital organs? Is he still bleeding now?

Finally, the questions begin to irritate me, so I lift myself from the bed. I peer outside my prison, but unfortunately, the hallway seems unfamiliar. As Sai had dragged me here, I hadn't observed my surroundings well enough.

First, we had turned right. Then left. Then right. Or was it left?

Uncertainly, I wander down the halls in a hopeless search of a familiar room. However, reckless wandering only brings me farther away from my destination. Exhausted after a good half hour of searching, I sit down on the cold, stone floor, relaxing my tired muscles. The hallways are all deserted, which gives me an unsettling feeling. Have I wandered so far that I am now in an uninhabited area?

Apparently not, because as I am resting in the dimly lit corridor, a shadow looms over me. I look up fearfully into slitted pupils, contained in a ghostly white face. A sickly purple tongue emerges slowly, licking nonexistent lips.

"Sakura-chan," he drawls. "What brings you here?"

------------------------------

Notes: Ugh. This story is really annoying me. I'm pretty sure it's going on hiatus now, unless I get a sudden burst of inspiration.


	6. Weakness

**Something More**

Chapter 6: Weakness

Summary: _sasuxsaku_ How could it end so quickly? How come it took me seventeen years to live, but only a matter of minutes to slip away into the quiet abyss of death? Sasuke… No… Sasuke… I just need to tell you… one more thing…

------------------------------

_As I am resting in the dimly lit corridor, a shadow looms over me. I look up fearfully into slitted pupils, contained in a ghostly white face. A sickly purple tongue emerges slowly, licking nonexistent lips._

"_Sakura-chan," he drawls. "What brings you here?"_

------------------------------

"I…" I begin, trying to mask my fear with confidence.

"Looking for Sasuke-kun?"

I cringe as the repulsive tongue emerges once more.

Recomposing myself, I answer his question with an unsteady voice, "Ah… Yes… I mean, I…" I bite my lower lip lightly, trying to find the right words.

"Where is he?" I blurt out suddenly.

Sneering as if I were a child, Orochimaru straightens, greasy black hair swishing quietly through the still air.

"Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun. Everyone wants you! Where are you?" he says with a mocking tone.

As he laughs insanely, I stare at him dumbstruck. What is wrong with him? Is he drunk?

"Your precious Sasuke-kun had something I want."

"Something… want…" I fumble over my words.

More confidence, Sakura, more confidence…

Something about his words disturbs me. Something is out of place, something is distorted.

A blindspot.

"Sharingan." The Sannin drags out every syllable, as if savoring its taste on his inhuman tongue. Again, it moisturizes his lips, eagerly anticipating a luxurious meal.

Something about his words…

Had.

Past tense?

"He had?" I echo his previous words. Why not have, why had?

He laughs once more, throwing his head back in amusement. "Yes, he had. Of course, he was foolish and gave it all up."

He…

"What?"

Sharingan. The only thing that made him superior, that made him strong.

"When the cherry blossoms came, he decided to give up everything. But he was too late. I already knew," the snake man snarls. His persona has taken an unexpected turn for the worse.

"Ah…"

"You."

Suddenly, a figure behind Orochimaru emerges from the dancing shadows. The Sannin turns around in faint surprise at the sound of footsteps in the hallway.

"We were just speaking of you, Sasuke-kun!" His voice drips in sarcasm.

"Get away from her," Sasuke commands sharply, barely audible. I search his face for answers, for relief, for anything.

But all I see is an empty void, eating away at his mind, at his organs.

And it ate at me too.

Ever so slowly and craftily, Sasuke curls his fingers around the hilt of his blade, fitted loosely into the rope that serves as a belt.

However, Orochimaru only sneers at his attempts of assassination, "You can't kill me if you're blind, Sasuke-kun."

Blind?

"Do you regret it now?"

Regret?

"Hn." Sasuke continues to approach us, but I notice that each of his steps is uncertain, afraid of an obstacle as small as a rock. His bare feet quiver slightly with each rise and fall, anticipating pain.

Orochimaru laughs insanely. "You're too weak, Sasuke-kun."

"Aa." He stops in front of Orochimaru, sword tip just touching the stone floor.

I notice the edge is tinted with crimson.

"So what Kabuto told me is true. You're foolish, Sasuke-kun. You gave up everything, just for this one little weak kunoichi."

"Hn." Even though his gaze is focused blindly beyond our standing point, Sasuke raises his sword deliberately, ready for a crucial fight.

However, all Orochimaru can do is laugh. "How do you expect to beat me like that, Sasuke-kun? You threw away your strength; I know your weakness; I'm stronger than Itachi. Do you really think you can defeat me?"

Sasuke swings his sword.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Before the blade can make contact with his flesh, Orochimaru roughly grabs my upper arm and plants me as a shield before him.

Feeling the sudden movement before him, Sasuke hesitates. "What did you do?" he asks, frowning, withdrawing.

"You almost killed your beloved cherry blossom, Sasuke-kun."

Shock, dismay, guilt… I don't know what passed over his face for an instant, but it is gone in just a moment.

"I…" he begins slowly.

"...will never defeat me," Orochimaru finishes for him. He walks away from us, leaving me standing fearfully in front of the Sharingan-wielder.

------------------------------

"Why did you do it?" I ask Sasuke, observing the damage to his eyes.

Using just his hands and the walls, Sasuke maneuvered back to his room with me following.

"Hn."

"Perhaps Tsunade-sensei would be able to heal you, but the injury is far beyond my abilities," I confess, frowning.

Too weak.

Sighing, I adjust my sitting position.

"Why did you come here?"

"To die."

Shocked, I turn to face him. "Why?"

"Because…"

I eagerly await his answer.

"This girl…"

I shift closer.

"My teammate…"

Suddenly, he clutches his head, as if the memories are flooding back in one enormous wave, threatening to engulf him.

"I… couldn't…"

Personally, I have never seen someone go through an emotional breakdown. Especially not human ice cubes.

"She wouldn't…"

He squeezes his eyes shut tightly.

"I didn't think…"

None of his sentences are connecting.

"That…"

I touch his shoulder encouragingly, but he doesn't continue. Suddenly, I notice the silent water flowing steadily from his sightless eyes.

Under his cold, hard shell, he is vulnerable, scared, alone. Like a child lost in the forest from his parents, he is confused, trying to defend himself, afraid of himself and his own anxiety.

Comfortingly, I loosely place my arms around him, holding him and burying my face into his shoulder.

We sit like this as time stands still, as the world moves on while we are stuck in that one point of time.

------------------------------

Notes: Sorry this update took so long XD Life has been killing me. I gave up two hours of sleep just to write this chapter! XD I know Sasuke is completely OOC, but it's really hard to just write from Sakura's point of view xx;; And yes, Sasuke is completely emoing out! Haha.

Hope you enjoyed :DD


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